The present invention relates to a surgical instrument, more particularly a hysterectomium for clamping, ligating and severing of tissue. A hysterectomium is more particularly adapted for the surgical removal of the uterus. Known intrumentarium comprise specialized instruments like hysterectomium forceps for clamping of tissue (DE-A-30 13 836), scissors for cutting tissue's parts and suturing apparatuses of all kinds. The work at the time of an operation e.g. the removal of the uterus is rendered considerably more difficult due to the fact that the various instruments are applied one after the other, in part also together, at the same place. More particularly the suturing procedure is difficult and time consuming because suturing points must be executed at the side of the forceps when the latter is locked in the clamping position. Attempts have been made to realize combined apparatuses capable of serving for more than one purpose.
For example, a surgical forceps is known which in the first place seizes and holds parts of the tissue by means of clamping jaws more particularly for ligating parts of blood vessels and which then permits to apply a clamp at each part by means of an integrated fixing device. However, this instrument cannot serve at the same time for cutting of tissue's parts and the attachment of clamps is not in all cases satisfactory or even applicable (U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,074).
A surgical forceps for clamping and subsequently cutting the vessels is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,175,556. This forceps permits by means of clamping jaws to squeeze side by side two clamps upon the vessels to be cut and closed and then to dissect or sever the vessels between the two clamps by means of an actuated cutting blade. In this case it would be possible to speak of a triple function namely clamping, ligating and separating. The application of the instrument is nevertheless limited to the closing and separating of vessels. Neither the instrument nor the clamp to be fixed are appropriated for clamping tissue's parts, suturing and cutting in a continuous procedure.
A surgical forceps is also known the clamping jaws of which are corrugated so tht thin tissue lying between them is ondulated such that a suturing needle may be introduced through recesses of the clamping jaws and the ondulated tissue in order to suture the clamped section of the tissue (CH-A-166 352). A cutter mobile along the clamping jaws is further provided for cutting the tissue. The instrument comprises only hand actuated grips for actuating the clamping jaws which supposes that the suturing and cutting procedure have to be conducted manually in the region of the clamping jaws.
There is also known an auxiliary apparatus for surgical suturing which comprises a row of needles which serve to draw in many threads at the same time, each one of said threads being drawn in one needle (U.S. Pat. No. 1,577,054).